7 Things to Avoid Gifting Your Girl for Her Birthday

Gifts are always a tricky affair, but if you want to make no mistakes this time around, here are 7 things you should never get your girl for her birthday.

Your girlfriend’s birthday is coming up and you have no idea what to get her. It’s a pretty common problem for guys, whether they’re with a low or high maintenance girl.

Girls often like a whole slew of things from apparel to shoes to bags to makeup. But for men, it can be hard to tell why one item is something she’d rave about and why another similar item is something she’d never buy in a million years.

7 things you should avoid getting your girl for her birthday

Now, you don’t have to know every little thing about women’s fashion and tastes to find out what she’d like. However, it’s good to have a guide for what NOT to get her, along with better and more sensible alternatives.

So without further ado, here’s the ultimate guide for what you should avoid getting your lady for her birthday, and ways to overcome these hurdles and still get her something perfect that she’ll love!

#1 Don’t get her clothes and shoes. Your girl may love combing through shops in the mall just to find the perfect dress or the perfect pair of dressy flats. However, how the clothes and shoes look is just one part of the story, you also have to consider how comfortable they are when she’s wearing them.

When it comes to clothes, most retailers would stick to “average” measurements to create their clothes. Many of their clothes may fit women who have average proportions. But if your girl has a slightly bigger bust, a longer torso, wider hips or anything that’s not the typical mannequin measurements, these clothes may not be as comfortable for her to wear.

And as for shoes, comfort is key. And we can’t expect you to guess if a pair of shoes would be comfortable for her to wear, unless she’s right there trying them on.

Instead, get her a gift certificate. Shopping itself can be therapeutic for women. So why not just give her the freedom to choose the items she wants so she can try it on. You really can’t go wrong with a gift certificate for her favorite shop!

#2 Don’t get her lingerie. Yes, she may be a sight to see when she’s wearing that black lace teddy to bed. But are you sure about her size and her measurements? Did you know that there are some discrepancies among stores about what constitutes as a B-cup or a C-cup? If you have no idea what her size is, you’d probably end up getting her something that’s not completely comfortable.

Another reason not to get her lingerie is that she may think you’re objectifying her. In your mind, you’re doing it because you want her to look and feel sexy. But in her mind, she might think that wearing lingerie is the only way you’d find her attractive. It’s not really a nice thing for her to be thinking about on her birthday.

Instead, get her a branded purse. For the price of a Victoria’s Secret lingerie set, you can already get her a little branded bag. Bags in a classic style usually aren’t very expensive because they’re not on trend. Since most bag boutiques have attendants to help you make a choice, you can just describe her style and pick a bag in your price range.

#3 Don’t get her cleaning and cooking supplies. Unless she specifically asks for one of those hovering cleaner things or a specialized gadget for cooking, these items are a no-no. Getting her something related to chores would just make her think that you’re seeing her only in a domestic light, with no other interests. In addition, you might just end up reminding her of what chores she needs to get done, even if it’s her birthday!

Instead, get her a relaxing day at the spa. It’s her big day, and what better way to thank her for all her efforts than by giving her a day filled with relaxing activities. If your lady has been working hard just to make ends meet, a day for recuperating and reenergizing might just be the one thing she needs!

#4 Don’t get her cheap prepackaged jewelry. You know one of those sale baskets that have tons of little trinkets for half the price? She probably knows about them. Getting her something that feels like it’s an afterthought before you left the shop can actually do more harm than good. It shows that you didn’t put too much thought into your gift, and you therefore don’t really care all that much about her either.

These cheap and oftentimes gaudy little accessories not only feel cheap, they’re most likely made with low quality stuff too. They might end up making your woman’s finger or neck or arm itchy, which, again, is more hassle than it’s worth.

Instead, get her cheap but handmade jewelry. This may be a bit controversial, but bear with us. Some guys are on a tight budget that they can’t modify no matter how much they love their girl. That’s totally understandable. So a better option would be to get her something that doesn’t feel cheap at all.

For instance, Etsy has tons of classy jewelry that you can get at a low price. They can even make personalized or customized stuff that would definitely suit your lady’s taste. The catch here is that you have to order them beforehand.

#5 Don’t get her something you can’t afford. We know you want your girl to have the best of everything, but it doesn’t have to come with a price tag that would burn a hole through your savings! It’s tempting to want to impress a girl. However, if you get her something that you can hardly afford, it may make her think that you’re more loaded than you actually are.

You might even start to resent her if you can no longer buy the things you need because of that one expensive item that you bought.

Instead, get her something affordable yet classy. Class doesn’t come with a price tag. There are tons of budget friendly options out there for men who want the best, but can’t spend too much. For instance, if you’ve got your eye on buying her makeup, do some online research for “dupes.” Dupes are basically cheaper alternatives to high-end cosmetics. However, they still have the same quality, just without the price tag.

#6 Don’t get her something YOU want. Sure, you can both benefit from a brand new flat screen TV, a new console or a ton of new video games. But is this something SHE wants or is it something that you want but she can enjoy too? Come on, it’s her birthday! Save the “we can both enjoy this” gifts for your anniversary.

Instead, get her something SHE may want to share. Remember how we mentioned that ladies would love a spa day? You can take it up a notch by turning it into a spa day with her best gal pals. Not only will she love the company of her female friends, but her friends would also absolutely adore you for it!

#7 Don’t get her the generic last minute cake and flowers. That would just show a huge lack of effort. You know you can do better than that! When the one thing you get her on her special day is a slightly stale cake from the bakery next door along with flowers that haven’t been sold, she’s more likely to dump them in the trash and maybe toss you in there along with your lame gift.

Instead, do something personalized. Personalizing a gift doesn’t have to require a huge amount of effort. Why not go to your favorite pastries place and get her a box of her favorite dessert? You can also get her a sweet treat along with a handwritten love letter. Get creative! You only ever need to do this once a year, so why not make it count each time?

So this time around, when your girlfriend’s birthday is just around the corner, keep these 7 things to avoid gifting your girlfriend in mind, use the tips we’ve given you, and try to make her special day a wonderful experience!